Too Familiar (Fear Familiar Book 2)

by Carolyn Haines

  This was the thing that had most disturbed her about the dreams. Why her? Why now? She had nothing that she knew about in common with either of the victims or the murderer. So why was she having the dreams? Before, with her father, it had been a strong link, a bond of love. And the dream had occurred simultaneously with the event.

  Could it be Adam? He stirred emotions in her, there was no point denying it. He made her think of things she’d long ago put aside, intimate things. Had he upset some delicate balance that opened her to the “talent” she had so long buried?

  The dreams had come before his arrival. Perhaps his presence in the area was enough. If he was the killer...,

  The sound of his car in the drive held her frozen. She knew then the feel of a rabbit in the road blinded by the headlights of a car. She had to move, to act normally. She was alone with him now, for the night at least. Unless she could get his car keys. But if he suspected anything, he might kill her.

  Footsteps echoed along the front porch. Wiping her hands on her jeans, Cassandra put a smile on her face.

  Adam came through the front door with his arms loaded with grocery bags.

  “Since I’m an uninvited guest, I thought I might at least bring some food. I also got some wine.” He put the bags on the table. “What’s wrong?”

  “Uh, a little scare in the garden. Snake.” Cassandra laughed, but it was a ragged sound. She forced her gaze away from his. She wanted to stare at him, to see if she could ascertain the truth by looking at him. “It’s a little early in the season, and I wasn’t expecting a reptilian visitor.”

  “Poisonous?”

  “No, just a rat snake. He went his way and I went mine.” Adam unloaded the sacks. With a start, Cassandra moved to put the food away.

  “The company is running smooth as silk. They said for me to stay away as long as it took.”

  “That’s wonderful.”

  “I also stopped by the phone company and asked them to come up and make the repairs.”

  Her fingers clutched the bread in her hand. “Oh? What did they say?”

  “First thing tomorrow.” Adam took the bread from her hand. For a long moment, he stared at her. “You found where the line was cut, didn’t you?”

  Cassandra had never felt so alone in her life. Dusk had settled around her cabin, the home that had always felt like a fortress against disappointment and loneliness. She had never been more in danger. With his dark eyes examining every nuance, she knew it was pointless to lie. He knew the truth. “Yes,” she whispered.

  “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to frighten you.”

  She swallowed. “I see.”

  “You think I did it, don’t you?”

  He didn’t move, but Cassandra took a step back. “How long have you been around here?”

  “Cassandra, I didn’t do it. I found the line cut, and I did report it. That’s why I went into town. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to frighten you. I knew I would be here, and you’ve had enough on your mind.”

  “Who did it?”

  Adam folded the paper sack and placed it carefully on the table. “When was the last time you used the phone?”

  “I don’t know,” Cassandra answered. “Days ago.”

  “You said teenagers come up here to steal things. Could it have been one of them?”

  “Yes, but that isn’t likely. They take plants and knick-knacks from the yard or porch. Cutting the phone wouldn’t help them. By the time the sheriff got here, even if I called him, they could walk off with most of the house.”

  Adam nodded as he accepted the truth. “Well, whoever did it meant to cut your connection with the rest of the world. For whatever reason.”

  “Did you do it, Adam?” She held her gaze steady on him. She couldn’t read the truth in a person. Not always. But she could try.

  “I did not.”

  She didn’t completely believe him. Not at all. But she did believe that if he intended to hurt her, it wasn’t at this particular time. If he was insane, then his madness was momentarily at bay. That thought sent a chill down the length of her body. She forced herself to focus on the positive aspect—at least she had time. There was a chance she might escape.

  “I’m going to stay in my car,” Adam said. He could read the fear in her eyes. It was evident in the way she stood, her arms so motionless she was terrified to make even the slightest move.

  “No!”

  The vehemence of her denial startled him. “Why not?”

  “Stay in here. I’d rather be able to see you.”

  “Okay,” he agreed. “But you have to stop acting as if I’m going to do something dastardly if you even breathe. I know it’s hard for you, and I don’t blame you, Cassandra, but I’m not going to hurt you.”

  “Give me your wallet.”

  He drew the billfold from his hip pocket and put it on the table. “I am Adam Raleigh. In the morning, when the phone is repaired, you can call my company. Until then, I guess you’re going to have to take my word. Now will you let me prepare some dinner, or do you think I’m going to poison you?”

  Cassandra picked up his wallet and stepped out of his way. In a moment, she had out his driver’s license, insurance card, credit cards, and several photographs of a teenage girl.

  ‘‘My niece,” he said without looking up. “My sister’s child, Bethany. She’s a pretty girl, isn’t she?”

  He’d picked up catfish fillets in the local market and was busy preparing them. He cut a sliver of the white meat and put it in the cat’s dish on the floor. When Familiar walked over to sample the morsel, he stroked the cat’s back. “I’m who I say I am, Cassandra. Be wary of me, if you must. But don’t do anything to get yourself hurt.”

  The rumble of thunder seemed to underline his words.

  “The cold front,” she said softly. Oh, great. She needed a storm now! With her nerves pulled as tight as piano wire, she’d never survive the booming and crashing of a mountaintop storm.

  “We’ll eat, batten down the hatches, and wait for morning,” Adam said. “You’re safe...I can promise you that, but I can’t make you believe it.”

  She put his billfold back on the table. “If you’re who you say you are. If you did send all of those contracts. If you’re telling the truth, maybe I am.”

  “Trust me,” Adam answered.

  “Said the wolf to Little Red Riding Hood.”

  * * *

  The storm hit the cabin in the early hours of the morning. Cassandra sat huddled at one end of the sofa watching the lightning fork against the graying windows. Dawn was coming, and she was glad. She’d slept fitfully, on and off, amazed that her body would betray her so when she wanted to stay awake.

  Sleep held its own torment. The dreams were always lurking, always possible. She hadn’t slept soundly in at least a week, and the deprivation was beginning to take its toll on her.

  In contrast, Adam had taken his former space in the loft bedroom and was snoozing soundly. Cassandra had checked on him to make sure. He’d effectively hamstrung her plan to escape by pointing out that if he weren’t the one who cut her phone line, then the real culprit could be hiding out somewhere in the dense woods around her house. Rushing about in the dark, she might accidentally encounter the one person she didn’t want to meet. He’d pressed that point home to her with emphasis. It was better to stay with the devil she could see than to brave the devil she didn’t know at all. At least for the night.

  Walking to the window, Cassandra watched the showy display of electricity. She loved thunderstorms on the mountain. Somehow, it put life in perspective. The cabin was storm tight, and the rain pounding against the glass was normally soothing. Even the rumble of the thunder was usually comforting. Tonight, it only confirmed Cassandra’s imprisonment. She stared out the window, her fingers tracing the cool pane.

  A triple-pronged fork of light blazed across the noisy sky. At the edge of the woods, a lone figure stared at the house.

  The scr
eam caught in Cassandra’s throat. She put her hand to her mouth. The figure, and it was a man, stood watching the house. His hands hung down at his sides, empty fists dangling. Buckets of rain fell on him, but he didn’t move. He watched the darkened house.

  “Adam.” Cassandra whispered the name. “Adam!” she cried, but it was only a harsh whisper. She wasn’t afraid the man outside would hear. The storm was far too loud. But her voice wouldn’t work. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from the man. It was almost as if they were bonded together.

  Outside, the storm raged, but the only sound in the room was the movement of Familiar. The cat jumped to the windowsill beside Cassandra. His back went into a tight arch and a deep, guttural hiss escaped from him.

  “Familiar,” Cassandra said, and it broke her vocal paralysis. “Adam!” she called. “Hurry!”

  Her cry was greeted by the sound of footsteps on the stairs. She turned to motion Adam toward her. “Quick. There’s someone in the yard.”

  “What is it?” Hair tousled, Adam hurried to the window. “Where?” He searched the grayness. “There’s no one there. What are you talking about?”

  Turning back to search the grounds outside the house, Cassandra, too, found emptiness. Only Familiar seemed to see, or sense, the stranger. He remained arched on the sill, his lips curled back on low growls.

  “There was a man there,” Cassandra said quickly. “It was the killer. I know it was him. He was watching the house.” She took a shaky breath. “It was almost as if he knew me and was watching me.”

  “Did you get a good look at him?” All traces of sleep were gone from Adam’s face. “I’m going out to take a look for some clues.”

  “The rain,” Cassandra said bleakly. “It’ll wash everything away.”

  Adam took four long steps across the room to the door. “Flashlight?”

  “On the shelf beside the door. Be careful.”

  The din of the storm entered the house for a split second as Adam opened the door and rushed barefoot into the rain.

  Taking up her watch at the window, Cassandra saw him searching the edge of the woods. She watched with her heart in her throat. What if someone came out of the trees and attacked Adam?

  When he turned back, running toward the house with long-legged strides, she felt relief. She hurried to the bathroom, grabbed a towel, and met him at the door.

  “Nothing,” he said as he dried the cold rain from his face and head. “The ground is an inch deep in water.”

  “I saw him,” Cassandra answered. “I swear it.”

  “Can you describe him?”

  Cassandra thought for a moment. “Not really. He was bigger than average height. Muscular.”

  “Hair?”

  “I couldn’t see.”

  “Clothes?”

  “A long-sleeved, blue jacket. Dark pants, long. Jeans maybe.” She paused. “Nothing, really, now that I try and tell you about it. I didn’t see enough to be of help at all. And I stared at him.”

  “From a long distance through a rainstorm,” Adam soothed her. He brushed back a curl of her hair. The triangle of skin between her eyebrows was furrowed with worry. “At least you saw someone, and now you know it isn’t me.”

  “I saw someone,” Cassandra said, turning away. “And I’m more confused than ever. I don’t know who to believe. I don’t even know if I believe my own eyes.”

  5

  “You’re very pretty, you know. Since you’re new in the area, I’d like to show you some of the better views.”

  The voice seemed to come from under water. Dark and undulating, it penetrated her ears and nose and mouth. Cassandra felt herself drowning and struggled to get to the surface, but she could not move.

  “I have to be at work in a couple of hours. Besides, I’m not really new here anymore. I’ve been here three weeks.” This voice, light and feminine, held the echo of death. Cassandra had to warn her, to speak, but she was weighed down by water.

  “Just a ride around. Take in a few of the scenic views. There’s one really special one...in the park.”

  “I shouldn’t.”

  “But you want to.”

  The young woman’s laughter was light and easy. “Sorry, mister, maybe another time. I’m new here, and I have to have this job. Besides, my mother told me never to take up with strangers. Especially not when murders are happening.”

  “Your mama was right. But I’m no stranger.”

  “Yeah, you’re familiar. Too familiar. You act like we’ve known each other for years.” The laughter came again, rich and carefree. “Ask me again, another time.”

  The voices faded. Penned under the murky depths of the water, Cassandra felt the lull of the waves. The danger was over. The voices were still. She slept.

  * * *

  Adam put his hand on Cassandra’s forehead. She was cool and apparently sound asleep. For a moment, he’d thought she was going to have another nightmare. She’d begun to struggle fiercely, mumbling words under her breath he couldn’t understand. Now, though, she settled back into an easy sleep.

  He debated whether to wake her and decided against it. It was late morning. Cassandra had finally stretched out on the sofa and taken a nap. She’d had only a few hours’ sleep, and he could think of no reason to awaken her.

  The storm had detained any phone repair crews. The rain had slacked off, and he’d searched outside the house for clues to the man Cassandra had seen. There was no sign of any intruder. If there had been any, the rain had washed it all away.

  He was about to doze into a light sleep himself when he heard a noise at the front door. His body tensed, his ears straining for any sound.

  Yes, there was a distinct noise coming from the door. He eased off the sofa, careful not to disturb Cassandra, and tiptoed to the front of the house. When he inched the door open, he was met by the dark, intense gaze of a powerfully built young man.

  “Who are you?” the young man asked with hostility in his voice. Dark eyes narrowed. “Where’s Cassandra?”

  “Ms. McBeth is safe. Who are you?” Adam kept his voice level. The young man was glowering at him. He noticed the man’s hair was long and dark, tied at the base of his skull with a leather thong. His features were distinctly American Indian.

  “My name is Bounder. Who are you?” He jammed his foot into the crack in the door. “Where is Cassandra?”

  “She’s asleep,” Adam answered. The young man looked dangerous, but he also acted as if he had a right to be on Cassandra’s property. “I’m Adam Raleigh, a business acquaintance of Ms. McBeth’s.”

  “I need to speak with her.” Bounder flexed his leg enough to let Adam know that he wouldn’t back down from a physical confrontation.

  Adam studied the young man, taking in the features that marked him as Indian and proud of it. What the young man lacked in manners and social graces, he made up for in physical strength and fierceness. All in all, maybe he wasn’t a bad friend for Cassandra to have. If he were a friend.

  “She’s asleep,” Adam repeated. “She had a rough night. I don’t want to wake her.”

  A half smile touched Bounder’s features. “I’ll wait. I have something important to tell her.”

  Before Adam could respond, the young man withdrew from the door and took a seat in a rocking chair on the front porch.

  “She may sleep for awhile,” Adam said. He was taken aback by the young man’s sudden show of docility.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Bounder said slowly as he rocked back in the chair. “I must speak with her, so I’ll wait.” He turned to face Adam directly. “The Cherokee people are used to waiting, Mr. Raleigh. We wait, but we do not forget.” He closed his eyes as if he too intended to nap.

  “Great,” Adam mumbled to himself as he closed the door. There was a serial killer on the loose; an intruder in Cassandra’s isolated mountain yard, and now an Indian rebellion on her front porch. What else could happen?

  “Meow!” The cry and the hook of sharp claws into the calf of h
is leg came simultaneously. Adam looked down at the intense yellow eyes of the black cat.

  “Breakfast?” Adam inquired. “Would you care for eggs Benedict, perhaps a little caviar and champagne?” He sighed. “Okay, let’s check the refrigerator and see what Cassandra has for you to eat. If you won’t tattle on me, I might even see if I can find some coffee. Tea’s great, but coffee really gets the blood kicking in the morning.”

  Together, Adam and Familiar settled in the kitchen as Cassandra slept and Bounder waited.

  * * *

  Cassandra stretched her aching muscles. She was surprised by the texture of the sofa beneath her. Falling asleep on the sofa wasn’t one of her bad habits. She awoke completely when she heard voices in the kitchen. Adam, yes, but who was he talking to?

  She got up and padded on bare feet—noticing that someone had removed her shoes and put them neatly beside the sofa—to the kitchen door. Her full lips curled into a genuine smile at the sight of Adam talking to Familiar. The cat watched him, as if he were listening to every word. There was an empty bowl on the floor, indicating that Familiar had finished his breakfast, and Adam was sipping a cup of coffee.

  Cassandra walked into the room, took a cup, and poured herself a full measure of coffee. She was further amused by Adam’s startled expression. “It only makes sense that I drink it if I have it in my home,” she said, lifting the cup in a toast. “To caffeine, in a very pleasurable form.”

  “I was surprised to find the pot and the coffee,” Adam admitted. “I hope you don’t mind that I took the liberty….”

  “Not at all. Did I miss anything?”

  “There’s a young man on your porch. He said his name is Bounder.”

  “Why didn’t you ask him in?” Cassandra asked quickly. “Why is he on the porch?”

  “I didn’t know exactly what to do. He’s rather fierce.”

  Cassandra’s laughter was surprisingly light. “He can be. Honestly, though, he’s the most gentle person I’ve ever known. His looks are a great defense.” She put her cup on the table and went to the front door. In a moment, she returned with the young man in tow.